O'Hanlon: Why Dublin is so special

He was born and raised there, played his first football there - and he's overcome with excitement at the thought of Liverpool and Celtic locking horns there on Saturday.

We wanted to know what is so special about Ireland's capital ahead of the Dublin Decider - and we wanted to hear it from the mouth of someone who can call the place home.

And O'Hanlon, who will hope to feature prominently for the Reds' U18s this season, proved the perfect person to ask.

He told Liverpoolfc.com: "I lived there all my life and I think what makes it so unique and brilliant is the people. They are so friendly and hospitable - and they love to laugh.

"I suppose that makes them the same as the people here in Liverpool. They are very, very approachable and if you come to Dublin, basically, you're just going to have a good time.

"It's also a beautiful city. I grew up in Blanchardstown, which is just inside Dublin. I lived there for about 14 years, until I came here to play for Liverpool, so I'm well used to the place by now and it's a really lovely area to grow up in."

Alex was back in Dublin last weekend.

Having competed in the Milk Cup across the border in Northern Ireland with Mike Garrity's U17s, the youngster met his family, rather than fly to Liverpool with the rest of the squad, and together they made the trip back home.

Once back on familiar territory, O'Hanlon soon discovered that there was one topic in particular which kept cropping up in conversation.

"It was a good few days back home," he said. "It was nice to see my family. I have three sisters. They're six, nine and 12 - so I don't get a lot of peace, but it was great to see them.

"When I went back on the Saturday night after the Milk Cup, all the family were together for a big barbecue - and the topic of the conversation was all about the Liverpool and Celtic game.

"They were all saying that it's going to be a great occasion and that they are looking forward to seeing the two teams play because it has been such a long time. It's going to be a great match.

"I live in digs over in Rainhill with Daniel Cleary, who is a centre-back for the U18s - it's a nice little house - and that's where we'll watch the game.

"Daniel actually lives a 20-minute drive away from me back home in Dublin, so he's looking forward to the occasion as well."

The three most popular teams in Dublin are Liverpool, Manchester United and Celtic.

Liverpool last met Celtic in 2004 during their pre-season tour of America - and the last time the two sides met in a competitive game was in a UEFA Cup fifth-round fixture at Anfield a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the Reds have not played a game on Irish soil since 1998 - and so O'Hanlon knows that the stage is perfectly set for a memorable encounter - which you can watch live on LFC TV Online from 5pm BST .

"When you live in Dublin, at times it feels like the whole city supports Liverpool," he said. "Liverpool's following over there is huge.

"I'd say Liverpool is at the top of the list, Manchester United is close second and Celtic is probably third. But most of the people who I talk to in Dublin are Liverpool supporters.

"To so many people over there, Liverpool is their life. Most of my friends over in Ireland are Reds and they just love, love, love Liverpool to death. They have the jerseys, the scarves - and the socks!

"I know they'll be buzzing at getting to see the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Agger and Steven Gerrard coming over. I think a few of my friends have got tickets to the game as well, so their excitement levels are going to be through the roof."

He continued: "But Gerrard is kind of a legend back in Dublin. A lot of people look up to him and he is just a fantastic player.

"I think he's going to get a great reception when he walks out onto the pitch. I played at the Aviva Stadium for the Republic of Ireland.

"It was an U19s game and I thought it was just a lovely stadium. It's going to be a great venue for Liverpool to play in."  

The stadium will be rocking long before the teams emerge onto the field and the stands will be awash with red, white and green.

However, when the first words of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' ring out around the ground, the emotion will ratchet up another level.

O'Hanlon explained: "If I play for the Liverpool first team some day, and I walk out onto the Anfield pitch and that song gets played - it'll probably just be the greatest moment of my life.

"When you hear that song play and you hear the fans sing it, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It's just amazing.

"Liverpool and Celtic have a great bond, and when they come up against other, I think that just comes together. It's going to be a special occasion."

O'Hanlon has many memories of watching the Reds as a youngster growing up in Dublin; however, like the rest of us, one night in particular has left a lasting effect.

"I'd say my favourite memory of Liverpool while I was growing up in Dublin was the 2005 Champions League final," he said. "I was watching that game in a pub with my dad and I remember saying at half-time, 'Liverpool are never going to come back here'.

"It was just great to be in that pub that night and to celebrate the win.

"We had gone down to the pub with a few friends - I was only eight at the time - and when we saw the first goal go in, we thought it was only a consolation goal. When the second went in, we thought, 'Ah, We're going to have a game on our hands here'.

"And when they won on penalties, the whole pub just started bouncing up and down - it was mad!

"The game on Saturday won't be quite like that, but it'll still be an amazing atmosphere. It's at the Aviva and so it's going to be a full house. I think it's going to be a great, great occasion for the people of Dublin."

To finish our chat with O'Hanlon, we asked him for some tips for Kopites travelling over to the game, once they've disembarked their flight into Dublin Airport and made the trip into the city's bustling centre.

"I'd say head into town and sample the culture and drop by some of the many brilliant restaurants," said O'Hanlon.

"On the Saturday, take a look around all the shops or go for a bite to eat. Then I'd make my way down to the ground at about 2pm to soak up the atmosphere."

For more information about our clash versus Celtic, follow @dublindecider. To find out what else is going on in Dublin while Liverpool are over in Ireland, visit www.thegatheringireland.com.